30-04-2025
Veterans reflect on Vietnam War and the sacrifices they made after 50 years
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Local Vietnam Veterans reflect on their time in and out of war, 50 years since it ended.
Eric Willard was in Vietnam from 1966-1968. At 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Army to work with computers, but two months in, he was sent to battle.
Willard, like other Vietnam veterans, doesn't speak much about the war. Willard said it's because his leaders told them to hide their uniforms and push the memories aside.
Since Vietnam, Willard has worked 22 jobs and kept himself busy, trying his best to forget his time overseas.
'I could hide from all of the things that I felt were failures of my time in Vietnam by burying my head and doing these other things as distractions,' Willard said.
50 years later, Willard said he still feels the effects every day.
'Some days it seems like 100 [years] and some days it seems like yesterday,' Willard said. 'As you get older, you have a sense of guilt, 'Why am I still here? And others aren't?'
Willard said he learned a lot from serving, especially when it came to growing up.
'You have to watch out for yourself,' Willard said. 'That doesn't mean you're greedy or selfish or anything like that, but you realize you help yourself because nobody's out there waiting to help you.'
Local groups like the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #984 and the LZ Peace Memorial help Willard and other veterans stay connected.
Sgt. Nick Parnello (Army) and Danny Harris (Marine Corp.) both served in Vietnam.
Harris said he remembers the crowd reaction to them returning home.
'We went over and fought for our country and done what we were asked to do,' Harris said. 'People were protesting against us, and we were trying to figure out why.'
Parenllo said he learned to take nothing for granted.
'Freedom is so precious and so dangerous,' Parnello said. 'We can lose it, and boy, if you lose it, it's going to be hard to get it back.'
All three men said that if given the chance to do it all over again, they would
'We honor the ones who didn't make it back, we honor the ones still missing, and we honor the ones who are still broken and in pieces today,' Willard said.
A '50 years since Vietnam' event will be held for community members to attend at Memorial Hall on Saturday, May 3rd, at 12:30 p.m.
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